Beauty and the Beast
by BlueBolt
Summary: You all know the story, but not like this! Duo plays the part of Belle in this twist on the original version, and the Beast mistakes him for a girl and makes a hasty error. Well worth reading, even if you haven't seen the movie, in my opinion. 1x2x1
1. Little Town

Heehee... hullo. I've decided to be a goof and write something that was nagging at the back of my brain. I'm hoping to keep this a one-shot, but, well, here goes.  
  
Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast is copyright Disney, and Gundam Wing is copyright... well... not me. Hehehe. I don't own nor claim to own any of the characters represented in this fanfiction! runs off, covering her head from the flying lawyers  
  
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Just as the sun had begun to wander up above the horizon, a lean young man wandered down to the village. Grasped loosely in his right hand was a basket, the book inside flapping a bit in the wind as he swung his arms back and forth in a meagre attempt to amuse himself. His feet scuffed the dirt path that led down to the tiny town from his house, kicking up little dust-clouds. He hummed lightly to himself as he walked, his restless soul bored stiff and longing for more than just empty another day.  
  
"Little town, it's a quiet village..." The boy began to sing softly, his voice hushed lest any of the busybodies around found out he was doing something so effeminate. "Ev'ry day, like the one before..." He daringly let his voice waver a tad higher, so that he could just hear it with his own ears. "Little town, full of little people..." he found himself at last treading the worn brown cobblestone that wound between the shops and apartments that made up the only place he knew. His voice dropped once more, dismally, as a few windows opened and the bakers began to roll out their carts. "Waking up to say..."  
  
"Bonjour!" A plump man shouted out, waving to the restless teenager. The townsfolk shuffled at last out of their houses and began the business of the day, searching out groceries from the carts lined along the streets. The fresh smell of baking bread wafted through the air, and the boy inhaled deeply, closing his eyes to take in the delicious scent, but for whatever reason, it wasn't nearly as wonderful as it had been ten years ago. The love of simplicity had worn off many seasons earlier- he longed for so much more.  
  
"Bonjour, monsieur!" He replied, sporting a cheerful grin instantly, belying the less-then-enthused feeling inside of him. "Anything new happening around town?" He asked hopefully, his violet eyes pleading with the man for some form of entertainment of distraction. Alas, the baker bit his lip and shook his head sadly.  
  
"Sorry, Duo. Just the same old bread and rolls to sell, if you know what I mean." The youth sighed, and waved.  
  
"Ah. Au revoir, then." He turned and dashed off to the bookstore, his long tawny-brown braid trailing behind him. The baker shook his head slowly, muttering to himself about what a strange boy he was. Duo skidded to a halt outside the familiar shop, running his palm lovingly down the smooth, worn old doorframe before stepping inside. He glanced around the room for what felt to him the quintillionth time that week, checking for any signs of new deliveries or packages. A short, doubled-over old man appeared from the back room.  
  
"Hello there, Duo. Back already?" He smiled kindly, and the lanky young man in front of him returned the favour, offering something rare; a genuine grin.  
  
"Yeah, just came to return the book I borrowed." The elderly man, despite all his experience with the boy's love of books, appeared quite surprised.  
  
"I can't believe you're done already! You only took it yesterday afternoon- it took me a week to finish that one!" He exclaimed, although there was a hint of pride in the back of his tone. Nobody in the village showed enough real interest in books, none, that is, but Duo. The owner of the bookstore was very pleased to have anyone around that shared his fascination with the tales of books as opposed to the gossip of the butcher's wife, and was simply overjoyed that it was someone so young.  
  
Duo narrowed his eyes dangerously, smiling softly. "Scared of a little competition?" The greying old man laughed, sitting down at a chair behind his desk. When no reply came, the town oddity continued. "Well, you know, I just couldn't put it down. It was great! I just loved the part where the fox joined forced with the hunter, to catch the rabbit. Those are the kind of things you'd never hear of anywhere but books!" Both of them shared a soft chuckled, and Duo's bright, inquisitive eyes scanned the room again. "Have you got anything new?"  
  
"Not since yesterday, I'm afraid!" The elder replied, the amusement apparent in his weary voice. Duo shrugged and wandered over to the small bookcase, holding up a finger and scanning through the titles.  
  
"That's okay. I'll just borrow..." his finger floated over a worn book with a beautiful red leather coat, the edges lovingly worn down by the thumbs of its readers. He paused, debating whether or not his selection was the right one, then settled at last on his decision and pulled the book out of the shelf, catching it nimbly with his other hand. "...this one!"  
  
The owner of the store leaned over in his chair, glancing over to see what his most eager student fancied this fair Thursday morning. His eyes widened, and a fatherly grin appeared on his face that suggested he'd caught Duo in the act of indulging in a cookie right before dinner, but didn't have the heart to tell him off.  
  
"That one?" He repeated, trying not to give in to friendly laughter. "But you've read it three times already!" Duo clutched the aged book to his chest, closing his eyes and smiling as he explained his choice.  
  
"Oh, but this one's my favourite, Morty." He declared, addressing the aged man by the nickname he'd given him. "It's the best of all of them! Far off places, brave adventurers, and forbidden love! It's more that just a book..." he declared, opening his eyes and looking down at the tome innocently held aloft by his hands. "It's an old friend." Mortimer smiled.  
  
"You really do love that book, don't you?" He asked softly, to which a nod was his only response. The observant old man realised that Duo had probably meant what he said, calling the book a friend. The boy had very few, if any at all, and none of them were his age. A soft of sad pity formed in his heart for his young companion, and he made up his mind that instant. "If it means that much to you, it's yours." Duo's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth flapped open.  
  
"But sir-!"  
  
"I won't take no for an answer. Keep it." The man sighed softly, mounting a pair of spectacles on his nose to peer down at his taxes, trying to work them out so that he wouldn't have to focus on the tragic boy standing just to his left. "Goodness knows you need that old friend more than I do." This last part was said softly, and hadn't been intended for Duo to hear. He pretended that he hadn't, and his face lit up with joy.  
  
"Oh, thank you, Mortimer! This means so much to me!" He spun a bit on the spot, clutching the book to himself once more and running his fingers across its front in admiration of the gift. "Thank you!" Duo rushed out of the door at once, the expression of pure delight lighting up the room even after he was gone. Mortimer smiled, then went back to his paperwork with a sigh.  
  
As the longhaired boy came out of the bookshop, practically dancing down the streets, a few boys shot him dirty glares.  
  
"Lookit him! He's just... so... not normal!" The boys nodded and grumbled in agreement, crossing their arms and scowling.  
  
"Wiv' that bloody long hair, and those big, stupid eyes, you'd think 'e was a girl!"  
  
"Ah well, can't blame 'im for bein' a bit off his rocker- his uncle's a real crackpot."  
  
"Hah, it's no wonder he wasn't forced to get that ugly braid of hair lobbed off by now; the looner's too stupid to see that 'e's a fella, not a dame!"  
  
On the other side of the street, a somewhat different conversation was being held about the exact same thing; or more, person. The quartet of girls chattered noisily about him once he'd passed, swapping opinions on the odd boy. One girl in particular looked after him, with a sort of curiosity in her eyes, and a gleam that was reminiscent of someone who'd been handed a challenge.  
  
"What a strange one, he is."  
  
"Oh yes. He's not all that bad looking though, if he'd just get rid of that silly hair."  
  
"I think it's cute." The girls all tittered at the comment, immediately embarrassing the girl for daring to voice her opinions.  
  
"Don't be silly, Hilde! It's dreadfully horrid!"  
  
"'Tis not!"  
  
"Oooh, I think she fancies him..." A whisper went through the crowd of girls, and a blush formed on the girl who'd been identified as Hilde.  
  
"I do not!" She huffed indignantly, crossing her arms. "It's just, you're all dreadfully cruel to him, and I think someone ought to stick up for him!" The three others all giggled at this, a noise much more malicious than most would expect from teenage girls.  
  
"She does like him, poor thing. You'll never get to that boy; I hear he's never had a girlfriend, and sits up all day at home, doing you'll never guess what!" A second girl widened her eyes, as if it were the secret to some great mystery.  
  
"What? Does 'e drink, or som'fink illegal?"  
  
"Naw!" the other replied, "Nothin' nearly as masculine or bold as that! He sits up in 'is room all day, and reads!" All but Hilde laughed at that, as though it were terribly outrageous. "No, my dear, I don't think even the cleverest, prettiest girl could land a strange one like him." It felt to Hilde like they were talking about a fish rather than a boy, but decided to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"I could." One of them suddenly interjected, speaking for the first time since Duo had passed. They all gave her incredulous stares, until he crossed her arms and pouted. "Well I am the prettiest girl in town, and I'm not stupid either. I know how men think. I could get anyone I wanted." One of the other two smirked.  
  
"Go on then, Relena. I bet'choo a pair of earrin's that you can't." The girl saw it as a cheap way to get herself some new jewellery, having missed the dangerous spark that lit in the girl's eyes as her dare reached the girl's eyes.  
  
"Can too. I'll prove it to you. I'll have him hanging off of me and begging for my hand in marriage by the end of the month." The other girl grinned.  
  
"It's a bet."  
  
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Duo quickly set his book down in the kitchen, and then ran down to the cellar where he knew he was sure to find his uncle. The plump, short man was indeed down there, working away at his latest invention. He glanced once at Duo before continuing to tinker with the underbelly of some great monster, which the boy supposed was some sort of robotic contraption to open cans or chop wood.  
  
"'Cha makin', Uncle?" Duo asked, poking around where he hoped he wasn't getting in the way. His legal guardian rolled out from under the thing, grinning proudly.  
  
"It's a machine for cleaning fish ponds and feeding the fish! That way when rich people go away, their fish won't die! Isn't it ingenious?" Duo nodded meekly, not having much to say. It was certainly... unique. "I'm taking it down to the fair tonight! Want to come?" This time Duo's head moved in a different way.  
  
"Nah... got a book from town today. Good old Morty is letting me keep it!"  
  
"That was awfully nice of him. I hope you said thank you. Pass me that twiddler?" The violet-eyed boy reached into a toolbox and produced a screwdriver, easily comprehending his relative's odd words for things. He handed it to the old man, who slid back under the machine.  
  
"Of course. I thanked him twice!" Duo paused, thinking back to what the owner of the bookstore had muttered under his breath. "Uncle... do you think I'm...odd?" The pot-bellied old man rolled out from under his device again, frowning and looking right at the boy he considered to be his son.  
  
"What makes you say that? You're perfectly normal." Duo nodded, and that ended the conversation. "I'm going to be leaving for the fair in about half an hour. Will you be okay here without me until late tomorrow?" The youth sighed heavily, but grinned nonetheless.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
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About an hour after his uncle left with his invention and their horse, Philippe, Duo heard a knock at the door. He frowned, but went to it out of curiosity. Nobody ever came to visit them, outside of the taxman, but he'd come just last week. He wouldn't be returning for another month. Hesitatingly, he pulled open the front door, his book dangling from his hand. The girl standing on his doorstep was hardly what he'd expected, and raised an eyebrow as if to ask what she wanted.  
  
"Bonjour!" He quipped cheerfully, tossing a lock of pale blonde hair behind her shoulder. "You're Duo Maxwell, aren't you? I don't think we've ever been introduced. I'm Relena Peacecraft." Duo's eyebrow rose even further as she held out her hand, obviously expecting him to kiss it like a gentleman. From all that he read, he knew what she was anticipating, but decided to deny her such until he knew her better. So instead, he grabbed her hand and shook it gently. She was startled, but quickly regained her composure.  
  
"What a lovely little house you live in!" She exclaimed, somehow manoeuvring around Duo and making her way into the kitchen at the front of the quaint cottage that the boy and his uncle lived in.  
  
"Yes..." Duo finally interjected, confused as to what she was doing in his house. "Uh, not to sound rude, mademoiselle, but uh... is there a reason you came so unexpectedly a-knockin' on my door?" She sat herself down in a chair, seeming to make herself quite comfortable and slowly grinding on Duo's nerves. "Only, I'm sort of in the middle of something..." He held up his book to explain, and she took it from him.  
  
"Oh, so you do like to read a lot!" Relena said, flipping through the book quickly for appearances before closing it and setting it down on the table, effectively losing Duo's place. She looked up at him and placed an elbow down against the countertop, leaning towards him with a suddenly smouldering gaze. "But doesn't it get a little bit... lonely?"  
  
Duo frowned, not taking the bait. "Not really. I like my solitude. Besides, I have the baker to talk to, and my uncle, and-"  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Relena nearly snapped, then went back into her seduction ploy. "I meant... don't you ever long for the company of... a girl?" Duo stepped back a pace, baffled.  
  
"N-no, not really, come to think of it." He stuttered, suddenly finding himself backed against a wall with Relena slowly advancing. She brushed a few of his chestnut bangs from his face, letting her hand rest on his cheek longer than necessary.  
  
"Oh, surely you think about female company... companionship... and maybe even... intimacy." She leaned up right near him, her face hovering near his. Duo felt uncomfortable prickles run up his spine, and just as she closed her eyes and began to advance with lips all a-puckered, he ducked out, kicked open the door and shoved her outside.  
  
"Can't talk now, chores to do!" He shouted, then ran and grabbed a broom and began to sweep the floor so that he wouldn't be lying. When she began to protest, he slammed the door shut in her face. The girl blinked once, then twice, then surmised that the boy must be dreadfully shy from inexperience, being all cooped up in that house like he was. She smiled at what she decided must have been coyness, then turned around and headed to the village to brag to her snooty friends about how she'd already begun to make progress with the normally unreceptive boy.  
  
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Once he was good and sure that she was gone, Duo slunk out the back door and sat on the hilltop beside his house, overlooking the village. The wind came and played with his bangs, pulling lightly at his long rope of hair and dancing with the few strands that had come loose since he'd braided it that morning. He sighed, singing softly and letting the wind take it from his lips and carry the words away somewhere that maybe people lived how they want and weren't whispered about for it.  
  
"'Monsieur... Peacecraft'... can't you just see it?" Duo's eyes closed and he leaned back into the grass, opening his eyes again and staring at the purple sky that was slowly turning a midnight blue. "'Monsieur Peacecraft'... her 'hubbykins'." He sighed again, wistfully, running his fingers through his hair. "No sir! Not me! I guarantee it! I want much more than this provincial life!" He raised his voice from the whisper it had been, crossing his hands behind his head and staring up at the stars. "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere... I want it more than I can tell..." He closed his eyes, and a small trickle of a tear appeared, and then rolled down his cheek and jaw. "And for once it would be grand... to have someone...understand... I want so much more than they've got planned..."  
  
Suddenly a loud whinny shook him from his thoughts, and Duo rose quickly to see what was going on. There weren't any horses nearby other than Philippe, and Uncle had taken him to the- Duo paled. 'Oh no... uncle!' He ran out towards the forest, and was almost trampled when Philippe came bursting out of the foliage, screaming and breathing quickly, trailing the cart haphazardly behind him.  
  
"Whoa, easy there, buddy! Calm down, calm down, you're okay!" Duo struggled to regain control of the panicking animal, glancing around fearfully all the while for any signs of his uncle. After a while, the poor horse stopped rearing up in fright and finally managed to control it's fear. Duo wrapped an arm around his neck, rubbing his cheek soothingly with the other hand. "Where's Uncle, Philippe? What happened to him?" Duo wished that he could somehow understand the frightened creature, but knew there was a definite communication barrier.  
  
Somehow Philippe knew that Duo needed to find the old man that took care of him, and so when the nervous youth unattached the cart and flung himself up onto his back, the horse set off back into the forest. He knew that there were wolves and cliffs and fearful castles out there, but he also knew that there was a boy on his back with a loyalty to the horse's master that was bound by love. That was more than enough to convince Philippe that he had to go back into the forest, back to that dreaded castle.  
  
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And there you have it! Chapter one! : ) I hope you all liked it, because I'd love to hear back from you on this to know if I should keep going. Please review, and if I get enough positive responses I'll write the next chapter. Oh, and just so you know, this is like... my longest chapter EVER. And that counts the times when I used to splice chapters together to make them longer. Heh. U Consider yourselves lucky. I guess I was just having fun writing this. Well, leave a review! Bye! 


	2. The Tower

Hey guys! I guess by now you've guessed that I'm continuing, hehe! Anyways, on with the story!  
  
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Duo gathered a thin cloak around himself, watching crystalline breath pour out of his mouth. It was freezing cold inside the forest, and though he should have taken more care of his health because of that fact, it only made him worry more about his dear Uncle and less about himself. Philippe moved on nervously, often glancing over his shoulder, then at last came to a stop in front of a huge pair of iron-wrought gates. Duo couldn't imagine what on Earth would compel anyone to lock everyone out of their home with such an ominous entrance, but realised that somewhere inside must be where his Uncle was.  
  
He slid off of Philippe's back and pushed open the gate, glancing nervously around for guards of any sort. When none came, he slid inside and pulled the horse in with him. On the way over they'd heard what sounded suspiciously like wolf cries, and he wasn't about to take any chances by leaving his horse alone outside the courtyard walls. After firmly shutting the gates again, he tied Philippe's reigns to an old protrusion in the brickwork of the wall. Duo suspected that it had once been a holder for torches, but it had been unused for many years.  
  
The boy nervously turned his gaze to the tall castle looming ahead, and feverishly hoped that the horse had taken him to the right place. Pulling the cloak even further around him, only his face and long lock of hair were visible as he pushed open the door and glanced around. His footsteps echoed around him, and he could have sworn he heard voices off in the distance. In any normal case, he would have cried out a friendly hello to arouse the owner of the castle, but for some reason felt like that would be a bad idea. Instead, he slunk towards the voices he heard, glancing around for some kind of candle to light up the dank hallways.  
  
"...surely he would twist our heads off if we even suggested it! You know the master's temper!"  
  
"But we can't just leave the poor man there! He's done no harm."  
  
"He should have listened to me, not you. He must have a poor sense of honour, to just go walking into any house or castle he wants! Disgraceful!"  
  
"You don't mean that. I mean honestly, he just needed a warm fire and a cup of tea..." The conversation trailed off, and Duo opened another door to try and find the owners of the voices. He found himself standing in a tall, winding stairwell, and recalled the soaring tower he'd seen from the outside. Immediately he thought of the high towers in storybooks, where beautiful princesses were always held captive. Maybe this tower was where his Uncle was being kept! He shuddered at the thought, but sprinted up the steps quickly. He passed by a niche in the wall with a candleholder, and curiously, a clock, but didn't stop to take the candle for light. Duo simply had to find his Uncle right then, and didn't have time to wonder who would put a clock in staircase up to a tower.  
  
When he got to the top, a fearful noise escaped him. "Uncle!" He cried, rushing to the bars of the cell where his last living relative sat, hacking and wheezing. "Uncle!" He repeated, sticking his arms through and grabbing hold of the old man's hand. His Uncle looked up fearfully, but then double- took.  
  
"Duo? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to rescue you! I'll get you out... I'll find the key, and we can go home, and..."  
  
"No, no, you don't understand! You must leave right away!" Duo frowned, glancing around the room for a key of any sort.  
  
"Don't be silly, Uncle. We've got to get you out of here!" He glanced back at the elderly fellow, and noticed a look of terror crossing his pale face. Duo was about to ask what was wrong when a powerful hand grabbed his shoulder and forcefully threw him against the wall. He lay slumped there for a moment before staggering to his feet, leaning on the cold clammy tower wall for support. The master of the castle eyed the young stranger; particularly the long brown braid that fell from within the cloak, and the wide, shimmering eyes that watched him with growing apprehension.  
  
'A girl...' He thought, many other thoughts suddenly rushing to the surface of his mind, bringing back memories he hadn't wanted to recall and sprouting hopes that he thought would never see the light of day. The hopes that maybe he actually had a chance, a chance to be free of this disgusting, ugly, unnatural form. His ears folded back and he lurked in the shadows a bit, rising up onto his hind legs, hoping vehemently to be mistaken for the man he should have been. A deep growl began to broil from within the depths of his massive chest, and before the 'girl' could talk, the master of the castle spoke.  
  
"What are you doing here? You're trespassing." The deep voice was laced with threat, but to the keen ear of Duo Maxwell it sounded slightly monotonous, and perhaps even a bit sad or guilty. The thought of the lean, muscular person lurking in the shadows being the owner of emotions was suddenly banished from his mind at the next sentence that echoed through the soggy prison. "You have no right to be here. Get in there with the old fool and maybe I won't kill you. You shall both be my prisoners, like it or not." Duo was about to protest, when his Uncle cried out instead.  
  
"No! Duo has nothing to do with this! It's my fault, keep me here if you must, but don't-"he coughed, doubling over and wheezing, and then continued with less gusto, "don't harm Duo." The cruel owner of the property stepped into the light to snarl at his captive, and a gasp escaped the violet-eyed adventurer. Not the man he'd expected, but a strange, horrid creature stood there, basking coldly in the moonlight that leaked through a hole in the tower roof. The Beast turned at the noise, and the gazes of the two locked. Duo nearly gasped again, but found himself unable to. Behind that ugly mass of fangs and fur was a pair of the most stunning Prussian blue eyes he'd ever encountered.  
  
"What are you looking at?" The monster snarled, mistaking Duo's gape for the stare of aversion and loathing that he knew all humans in their right minds would display towards his disgraceful face. The boy snapped out of his trance and pulled back into the shadows, finding himself truly afraid for the first time in his life. The Beast curled back his lip, but couldn't ignore the fact that his first thought had been, 'What pretty eyes she has.' Duo's uncle took a deep breath to yell at the monster again, but found his captor had whirled around and wrenched open the cell door before he could say anything. "Get out." The thing spat, grabbing the old man by the arm and wrenching him from the prison. "I don't need you here anymore."  
  
"But I-!" The creature whirled on him, his steely gaze and bared fangs presenting a case that was difficult to argue.  
  
"I gave you your freedom, didn't I?" He snapped, giving him a solid push in the direction of the stairs. The fiend then turned to the 'girl' and rose to his full height once more, presenting a fearsome image. "You will stay. Forever. If you refuse, I will kill the old man. Swear that you will never leave." Duo shuddered, but it wasn't because of the chill in the room. His host stood almost a foot from him, long shaggy fur rumpled in front of his eyes casting a shadow over those stunning irises and darkening his frightful features. "Swear to me that you will never leave." He repeated, trying desperately to ensure that he at least got a chance at freedom from the body he was trapped inside. Duo glanced once at his dear old uncle, and then with a single tear finding it's way down his cheek, made his choice.  
  
"I swear." He choked out, sending one last, distressed glance at the only person that had ever loved him for who he was, then buried his head in his arms, making a meagre attempt to quell the fit of sobbing that forced its way up his throat. The creature, satisfied for the moment that things were going his way, removed himself from the tower to drag the man he assumed was the girl's father down to the horse that was tied up at the gate. With a wrench, the beast tore the leather reigns in half and plopped the man down on top of the horse. He opened the gate wide and gave the poor horse a slap on the rear, which sent it flying down the pathway and out into the forest.  
  
Duo cried for five full minutes, unable to stop himself from giving in to the misery of the entire situation. All his dreams of adventure had been squashed in front of his eyes, and on top of that, he would never see his Uncle again. Trapped in a castle with a cruel beast, held there by a promise that he wasn't allowed to break because of his own stupid morals. Duo was still weeping softly when he heard a soft clumping of wood on stone, followed by a metallic 'chink chink chink' that made him wonder if a piece of silverware or something had fallen down a flight of steps. He felt a light tugging on his sleeve, and looked up. There was nobody there.  
  
"Pardon me... mademoiselle... we shall show you to your room." Duo looked around, now with an angry expression fixed on his red, tearstained face. He didn't know who the hell was talking to him, but they had some nerve calling him a girl. However, when he finally made eye contact with the person that had addressed him, all thoughts of being annoyed left him for sheer shock. He was looking into the 'face' of a candlestick with a pair of eyes, a noise, a mouth, and a strange lump of wax that could be nothing but a very long set of bangs. Behind the curious talking candlestick was a small clock; quite possibly the one he'd seen earlier on his way up the stairway. It must have been wound a bit too tightly, for the expression it bore was one of self-importance and intolerance.  
  
"Well, come on!" The clock declared, tugging insistently on Duo's cloak. The boy just lay there, flabbergasted, and at last managed to gasp:  
  
"What the hell??" The candlestick frowned at the voice he heard, having expected something a bit lighter and more... feminine. When the girl stood up and the cloak fell to the floor, revealing not a girl's figure but that of a young man, both of the castle servants gulped. They shot glances at each other, and the timepiece muttered something along the lines of "he's not going to like this..." before stepping forward a bit.  
  
"Let me um... introduce myself." The candlestick coughed. "Oh, and him, too." Said candlestick rolled its eyes and waited for the clock to continue. "I am Chang Wufei. You may call me Wufei- nothing else. You most certainly may not address me by my first name, or by any stupid nickname you may happen to create. That would be most dishonourable. And that waxy dolt is Trowa." The object named Trowa bowed ever so slightly, but couldn't stop himself from sending a suspicious glance at Duo. He wondered why on Earth anyone would try to make themselves look like a girl.  
  
"This way." The candlestick muttered, hopping along on the stone floors. Duo suddenly understood the sounds he'd heard earlier, although that was where his comprehension of the past few events completely ended. He followed the pair of them down the staircase, noticing how surprisingly fast they moved despite their odd methods of doing so. While they were walking, Duo suddenly thought about where he was being taken and voiced the question that popped into his head.  
  
"I'm... I'm getting my own room?" He looked back over his shoulder, thankfully bidding the dark prison cell goodbye. "You're not... locking me up?" The timepiece laughed once, coldly, and replied without even turning around.  
  
"Do you take us for fools? You'd die up there after a good while. Besides," he remarked, unable to resist the temptation, "you will be staying here quite a long time." The candlestick shot him a glare for being so cruel, even if it turned out the girl that had everyone's hopes up turned out to be a boy with long hair. Nobody deserved that kind of treatment. Indeed, Duo seemed to sag a little, his braid drooping behind him like the whiskers of a depressed cat.  
  
"I guess..." he muttered after a while, if only to say something to fill the empty space that loomed in between talking. At last they came to a stop outside a door, and Duo wondered just how big the castle must be. He stood there for a moment before realising neither Trowa nor Wufei were tall enough to reach the doorknob, then sheepishly reached out and pried it open, stepping inside. His jaw fell slack as he looked around, and almost forgot for a fraction of a second how miserable he was. He'd stepped into a large bedroom with a tall four-poster bed boasting lavish red drapes, a chest sitting at the foot of the giant mattress ornately decorated in fancy copper edging. The tall, stately windows in the wall opposite the door looked out on the backyard and an old disused fountain, giving him a glorious view. Although the furniture in the room was all covered in a thin layer of dust, his old bunk in the corner of the kitchen was incomparable to the beautiful chamber they'd chosen for him.  
  
Of course, that got him thinking about home again, and his heart sank right back to rest somewhere between his kneecaps and his toes. During his awe- filled staring and his painful recollection of home, the clock and the candlestick silently made their way out of the room and eased the door shut. Duo looked out the window and saw the moon up in the sky, suddenly realising just how late it was and how exhausted he'd become. He wandered over to the cabinet and reached out for the handle to see if there were any clothes in there that he could sleep in, but leapt back about a foot when the doors flew open of their own will and a motherly sort of voice filled the room.  
  
"Don't worry dear; I'll close my eyes when you change." Duo reached a shuddering hand out to take the plain white nightshirt and matching pants that the wardrobe seemed to be offering him, snatching them and jumping back as though the doors would slam shut on his hands and bite him. It was going to be a long night.  
  
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"You're sure?" The beast demanded for the third time, pacing back and forth in the dining room, making the poor candlestick a bit dizzy.  
  
"Yes, master. That was no girl. I'm very sure of it." Trowa insisted, wishing he hadn't been the one that had to break the news to their temperamental master. The beast snarled in frustration, rubbing his temple with a heavy, clawed hand.  
  
"Damn! Now what?" He swore, his erratic pacing starting to make Trowa queasy.  
  
"Heero..." The beast turned on the tiny candlestick quickly, baring his teeth.  
  
"Don't! Ever! Call! Me! That!" He yelled, self-hatred apparent in his eyes, betraying his violent front. "I'm a monster. I don't deserve a name. Just a Beast. Nothing more." Trowa bit his lip, wanting very much to yell at him for constantly putting himself down, but found himself unable to do so because of the servant-master relationship.  
  
"As you wish..." he muttered, then quickly changed the subject. "Since he's promised to stay here anyways, you might as well get to know him. I mean, who knows? You might even become friends." The Beast snarled something along the lines of 'yeah right' and then stormed off to brood, per usual. He had actually slept well last night, which was a rare thing in itself, somehow thinking he could convince a girl to fall in love with a great ugly brute like himself, and lift the spell that damned enchantress had put on the castle. But now he didn't even have those dreams; the girl he'd hoped to charm had become a guy, and his hopes of ever being free of that ghastly form were shattered. The morning had come and awoken him from his dreams, and with it the bad news about his 'girl' had also come, waking him from another hope that turned out only to be a frail, breakable dream. His ears perked as he heard something he hadn't in quite a while- the footsteps of a normal human being.  
  
Duo wandered tentatively down the grand staircase and into the dining room, wondering if he could find some sort of breakfast. He was dressed in a charcoal grey tunic that had no sleeves, and a pair of black, faded trousers. The boy had been relieved of his old green tunic and worn brown pants by a teapot that had come around earlier to collect his laundry, and found himself uncomfortable in unfamiliar clothes. He noticed the Beast right away but pointedly ignored him; the Beast himself didn't really blame him for that. He had, after all, separated him from a loved one and doomed him to a life without girls or guns. At least, the Beast supposed that was what the other boy would long for while trapped inside the castle. The two of them had completely convinced themselves that the other did not exist until a small teacup hopped along the table to the Beast and nudged his heavy paw.  
  
"Not now, Quatre." The brute hissed, still moping about the fact that his hope had been completely ruined. The little teacup, however, was persistent.  
  
"Be nice to him," he whispered, glancing in Duo's direction, "he needs a friend just as much as you do. Ask him his name." Before the Beast could ask him what he meant from that comment about him needing a friend, the piece of chinaware called Quatre hopped on a cart moving of its own free will and disappeared into the kitchen to tell all the dishes and the cook that two sets of breakfast were needed. After he left, an awkward silence settled over the dining room, and the beast coughed.  
  
"Tell me your name." He demanded at length, unable to communicate without using force or anger to hide his feelings. Duo looked up, a bit surprised, and mumbled something. Even to the keen ears of a beast, it was indiscernible. "Speak clearly." The beast snarled, looking down the long table at the boy who had deceived him. He'd wondered more than once if it was some kind of cruel joke, tricking him into thinking that he was a girl, but didn't want to think about that in case it started to get to him.  
  
"I said," Duo declared, his voice echoing a bit around the large room, "my name is Duo." There was a pause, and the beast repeated the name, trying to store it in his memory. The awkward silence fell over them again, and Duo cleared his throat nervously. "And uh... what's yours?" He shrunk back at the fearsome, icy glare that the monster turned on him, realising too late that he'd hit a sensitive nerve.  
  
"That's none of your business! I am a Beast, so as far as you're concerned, that's my name." Duo nodded, wishing he'd never come down for breakfast. Just when he started racking his brain from something to strike up another sort of half-conversation with, he was saved the trouble by the cart that rolled in full of food, the dishes springing to life and delivering themselves to the right place. Duo watered at the mouth ever so slightly as hot, buttery croissants and warm porridge spiced up with just the right combination of sugar and cinnamon danced their way over to his spot. Soon after it followed a glass of apple juice and a small tub of jam, should he want it.  
  
The Beast glanced up and watched Duo as he ate, then glanced back down at his spread. It was exactly the same as what his guest had been served, but he wasn't entirely sure about it. It had been many years since he'd sat at a table to take a meal, or buttered a piece of bread, or used a glass to drink. He stared at it a moment, then grabbed the pastry in his mouth and got up out of his chair, falling to all fours and slinking off to eat somewhere in privacy, away from that... that Duo.  
  
The boy had glanced up when his host decided to leave, but soon ignored it and dug into his meal. He didn't really care what the wicked creature had gone off to do; he was simply an evil being who took joy in ripping people's hearts in half and Duo didn't feel the need to give a damn about what he did around the castle. He finished up his breakfast and decided to explore a little, feeling better now that he had a full stomach. The longhaired boy figured that if he had to stay in the castle forever, he might as well find out what there was to do around the place.  
  
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There you go, guys. I feel a bit sad because I only got one review for the first chapter (an all-time low for me) but I really like writing this story, so I don't care what you think! Or more... what you don't think. Whatever. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it, if you have a question, or if you think that Duo makes an incredible Belle. XD 


	3. Marigolds

Hey guys! I'm super happy right now, because I got a few more reviews. To be completely honest, I've never submitted a fanfiction at one in the morning and woken up to find I had three reviews.  
  
Lordpink - Katsuya: Wufei was the clock, Trowa was the candlestick, and Quatre was the teacup. Wuffers was old Cogsworth because he's the most wound up and strict of all of them. Trowa was the candlestick because there was no one else to be the candlestick, and because (I think) in the show Trowa's from France. Quatre wasn't the candlestick because in the movie Lumier is all... well, he's just very not Quatre-ish. Quatre was the teacup, because the teacup is cute and innocent. Heehee. There you go- that's my logic for it.  
  
Rashalla Entalio: I'm glad you like it so far! And yes, Trowa's personality doesn't really match up with that of Lumier, but it can't all be exactly like the movie, can it? Besides, I think I can make it work for him. Quatre makes an adorable Chip in my mind, which is why I put him as such. The truth is, I was originally considering making poor Quat the teapot! XD  
  
Raven Deathstar: Thankies for the kind words!  
  
Now, on with the fic!!  
  
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Duo wandered down the hallways, getting the creepy feeling that the many suits of armour lined up along the walls were watching him. He shuddered, then turned a cornering into a huge ballroom. It was apparent to him just how long it had lain unused; when he walked to the middle and looked back, he could see his own footprints in the dust. Glancing up, he noticed that what must have once been a gloriously stunning chandelier was covered in grime and cobwebs. He sneezed and decided not to stay there amid all that dust, lest it get into his lungs, or (more importantly) his hair. The boy glanced around for another way out, not wanting to go back the way he came, and laid eyes on a huge flight of steps. He went over to it and bounded up the dusty staircase three steps at a time, making his way up it quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
When he got to the top, he grabbed ahold of the round wooden banner and spun himself around on it, laughing lightly as the force of his own momentum sent him sprawling. The truth was, he was only looking for something to help him forget how terrible this place was, or how unfair and unkind the owner was. Getting up off the floor, he did a leapfrog onto the lengthy banister that went down the side of the steps, and slid down it with a loud whoop. When Duo neared the end, he suddenly noticed the large ornamental piece at the bottom. Preferring a broken limb to a re-enactment of the nutcracker, he launched himself off to the side, rolling down the last few steps, laughing loudly the entire way. He looked like he was having the time of his life, but it was only an act to keep his mind away from reality. Duo twisted around to have a good look at his rear, which was coated in dust and grime from sliding down the banister and acting like a giant wiping cloth.  
  
"Eewwwww!" He declared, standing up and brushing the filth off his bottom with as much dignity as he could muster, taking a look around with the paranoid notion that someone might have seen him acting so stupid. It was then that he saw the rustle of green fabric and fur, darting back into the shadows and running away from where it had been watching Duo's strange behaviour. "Hey!" the boy shouted, still wiping off his trousers with one hand and waving the other. "Wait!" The ran up the steps and grabbed the banister at the top, using the propulsion to launch himself along the corridor that the Beast had retreated to, his chestnut lock of hair waving about behind him like the tail of a kite. He wasn't sure why he was chasing the Beast, but decided it must have been an impulse to let him know how rude it was to spy on people. He ran after his quickly disappearing host, following him down several corridors he'd never been down and up and down the odd staircase. When the fruitless chase went on longer than Duo's aching legs could bear, he sat down on a step and panted heavily, glaring up at the glimpse of paw that went around a corner and vanished. "Fine!" He shouted angrily between his laboured breathing, "Be a coward then!" There was a sudden crash of footsteps that drew swiftly near, and Duo cringed.  
  
"What did you call me??" The beast roared, his voice booming through the entire castle. His violet-eyed captive crossed his arms, not nearly as daunted as he should have been.  
  
"You heard me! I called you a coward. Why are you running from me??" He replied defiantly, his dislike for the beast growing.  
  
"I'm not! I'm trying to get rid of you! I just want to be alone!" The creature snarled, bringing his face right up to Duo's and baring his teeth, trying to get his point across.  
  
"Yeah??" Duo yelled with just as much anger, startling the Beast, "Well I just want to go home and see my Uncle!"  
  
"Then go!"  
  
"I can't, remember?? You made me promise to stay here forever!"  
  
"Then break your promise! I don't care, go ahead and leave!!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"What do you mean, you can't?"  
  
"I'm not some stupid person that makes a promise that they don't intend to keep! I'm Duo Maxwell, and I may run, and I may hide, but I never, ever lie!" The Beast was taken aback at this. Unable to think of a reply to something so morally right, he huffed and turned around, climbing back up the steps and storming off into a dark hallway. Duo followed, not done venting his frustrations just yet, but found a heavy paw quickly stopped him.  
  
"Stop. Following. Me." He beast snarled through gritted teeth, grasping the boy's shoulder so tightly that it began to bruise. Duo winced in pain, and fell to his knees when he was released. The Beast continued on into the hallway and didn't once look back. A door was slammed shut, and then a silence surrounded the area that frightened Duo more than the Beast himself did. He just sat there, clutching his bruised shoulder and staring back hatefully at the door at then end of the corridor. He had no idea how long he remained in that place, snarling at someone that wasn't even there, but after a long while heard a sort of clinking that suggested one of the peculiar castle servants was coming his way.  
  
"There you are!" A light, worried tone came from behind him, but Duo didn't bother turning around. "Are you okay?" There was a pause, and then, "You're hurt!" Whatever it was exclaimed, as though he knew that Duo was in pain and wasn't just guessing. A little teacup hopped into the boy's line of sight and tried in vain to meet his gaze to figure out what exactly was wrong. At length, Duo looked up and spoke.  
  
"Where does that door lead?" The teacup glanced at said door, and its eyes widened.  
  
"That's the west wing, but we're not allowed up there. Come on, let's get you to your room; I can ask someone to bring you up a snack, or some tea, or-"  
  
"I'm not hungry." Duo pouted, slowly getting up and releasing his shoulder. He thought about this, and then admitted he might be a little hungry. After the miniature speech he'd just given the Beast, he couldn't fib about his appetite without feeling terribly guilty. The teacup glanced up at him, and shuffled a bit.  
  
"You wouldn't mind... carrying me, would you? Only, it's dreadfully far from here to the kitchen, and there are so many steps, and it's a nightmare being so small." Duo looked down at the little teacup, and smiled genuinely for the first time since he'd come to the castle.  
  
"Alright," he said, stooping over to pick him up in the palm of his hand, "since I guess you must be kinda tired already from coming all this way just to find me." He began to walk back in the way he remembered having come from, asking the odd direction from the little teacup to make sure he didn't get lost. After passing through the ballroom and then the dining room, Duo knew where he was again and set the teacup down outside the kitchen. He scratched the back of his head, then glanced down at the cup.  
  
"So uh... I'm going up to my room now. Thanks, uh...?"  
  
"Quatre." The cup finished for him with a gentle smile.  
  
"Thanks, Quatre. Name's Duo. Nice to meet you. I'd shake your hand, but..." They both laughed lightly, but the little teacup knew he wasn't as happy as he made himself out to be. Quatre decided against pointing this out just yet, and said goodbye as Duo excused himself up to his room.  
  
The Beast sat on the railing of his balcony, one leg thrown over the edge and swaying slightly. A deep, soulful sigh escaped his lips, and he glanced down at the ugly, brutal paws that used to be the fair hands of a prince. He knew he'd hurt that boy, and he grit his fangs angrily for it, staring out over the expanse of his property. Why had he even tried to hope that he could make friends with him? Who would want to be the friend of a monster? The leaves in the forest were beginning to turn golden brown, and soon autumn would arrive. In less than a year, the transformation would be permanent, and he would never be normal again. Heero moaned softly in frustration, burying his horrible face in his horrible paws, wishing for the third time that day that he'd wake up and find it had all just been a horrible dream.  
  
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A week later, Duo had finally resigned himself to the fact that he'd be stuck in the castle forever, and decided to make the best of it. He figured that the Beast must have some kind of good inside, since he hadn't left him to just rot in the dungeon. With that in mind, he set out one morning to befriend him. He pulled a maroon sweater on overtop his old green tunic, one of the few things he had left to remind him of the little village he'd left behind, and then pried open the door as quietly as he could. He poked his head out the door and glanced from left to right, then tiptoed down the stairs. Too late he heard the rustle of fabric behind him, and cringed when a harsh voice came from behind him.  
  
"What are you doing?" The tone was monotonous at best, but Duo was convinced that there was curiosity hidden in there somewhere, and perhaps even a pinch of amusement. He turned around to face the Beast, a guilty grin plastered on his face despite his disappointment at being found out.  
  
"I was going outside." He replied honestly, skirting around the reason in case he got the chance to concoct his surprise later that day.  
  
"You weren't trying to leave, were you?" The Beast asked blatantly, an eyebrow raised slightly at the implication that Duo might be going back on his word.  
  
"No!" The boy declared defensively, crossing his arms. "I most certainly was not! I'm offended you'd doubt my honesty!" The Beast only grunted at that, and went off to the kitchen to pilfer some food and take it off to eat alone. Duo frowned and stared after him, muttering when he knew the creature was out of hearing range. "What is with him?" When not even the creepy suits of armour offered him an answer, he simply shrugged and went out to the front entrance. He pried open the ridiculously large door and went outside, glad he'd thought to wear an extra layer. It was getting chilly again outside, and he realised sadly that it was around the time when the farmers would gather the russet apples from their orchards.  
  
Duo wandered around a bit outside before realising all the front gardens were dead, and found his way to the back. He sat on the old fountain that he could see from his bedroom window, wondering what it looked like when it was working. He let his eyes wander around a bit before finally spotting what he'd come out to find- a tiny patch of marigolds that had just somehow survived as long as they did. He stood up again and made his way over to them, picking three of them and leaving behind the others that had begun to wither. Smiling a bit now that he had what he'd come outside for, Duo bounced back into the castle. He went into the kitchen and snagged a glass, filling it with water and then plunking the flowers into it. The joy a doing something nice for someone else was written on Duo's face as he brought the glass out to the dining room and set it down in the middle of the oversized table. Drawn to the sudden movement and bustle in the kitchen and from the opening and closing of the front door, the Beast slunk in on all fours, eyeing Duo suspiciously.  
  
"What are you up to?" He snarled, rising up to get a look at what his prisoner-by-mistake had put on the table. Before he could say anything, however, the Beast caught sight of the flowers and erupted in a furious roar. Duo backed up nervously, glancing shamefully at the flowers as if they'd transformed into a dirty book with lewd pictures.  
  
"You're not allergic or something, are you?" He asked fearfully, reaching out to take the innocent marigolds. The Beast roared again, swatting the glass with a heavy paw so hard that it flew across the room and smashed against the wall, the makeshift vase splintering into hundreds of tiny pieces. He turned on Duo furiously, baring his fangs and snarling.  
  
"Don't ever bring flowers into my castle! Get rid of them!" Duo backed away even farther, remembering only too well how pain always resulted from bodily contact with the Beast.  
  
"I was just trying-"  
  
"I don't care! I hate flowers!" The boy's face hardened, and logic suddenly left him, replaced by ire.  
  
"Now wait just a minute! Why are you yelling at me? I didn't know!"  
  
"It's your fault! You brought them in!" He shouted wrathfully, taking a step towards Duo, who didn't back away.  
  
"Ooohhh, I see! So it's MY fault for trying to do something NICE for a complete ASSHOLE that trapped me in his God-dammed castle and completely ruined my life!" Duo had completely snapped, and he picked up the marigolds at his feet and flung them at the Beast's face. "Well you know what?? Screw my promise! I'm sick of you yelling at me for everything I do, as if my life isn't bad enough! I'm leaving!" With that, Duo turned around and stormed out of the castle, not really thinking about the long walk, the cold, or the wolves in the forest. Right about then, the only thing on his mind was getting away from that...that...monster!  
  
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Well, that ends chapter three! Thanks for all the reviews, guys, I'm glad to see I'm not just wasting my time writing this. I've got a little treat for you, too. I've drawn a picture of the scene where Heero/The Beast comes racing back down the steps and snarls at Duo, and goes "What did you call me??" RAWR! XD You can find the link on my profile. 


	4. Winter Approaches

Hey guys, bluebolt here! Hehe. I'm bringing this to you straight from my dad's laptop, all the way from my hotel room. I'm amazed at how many reviews I got, but regret that I cannot reply directly to each one right now. Well, I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to me prattle on about nothing in particular. On with the fanfiction!  
  
The pack had been wandering through the forest for weeks, searching hopelessly for food. Mice were turned out of their burrows, squirrels were chased from their trees, but it was never enough. The wolves were slowly starving. Once theirs had been a great pack of almost ten members, but it had dwindled to six. The old and the young were the first to die, and their deaths prolonged the lives of the other members. They were eaten, not a scrap left on their bones, every inch of skeleton gleaned of its meat. Still it was not enough. They were hungry, oh so hungry; and the wolves had become desperate. They began to wander nearer and nearer the giant castle in the middle of the forest, searching for food. It could only be luck that a human stumbled into their midst in the middle of the day, one august afternoon. He was delivered unto their jaws, weary, emotional, and oblivious to the dangers of the forest. The wolves would have laughed if they weren't so desolately ravenous.  
  
Duo had been walking for almost three hours straight; he was cold, miserable, and incredibly lost. He didn't understand why the Beast had been so horrible to him over some wild flowers. It made no sense, no matter how much he hated flowers, it seemed like he'd totally overreacted. The boy was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't see the wolves until he was completely surrounded. There was no growl of warning, not vicious howl; only the snap of a twig. Duo whirled around, his eyes wide, and there they were. He shouted out when he saw them and broke into a run, pushing his way through the ragged forest shrubbery with panic slowly overtaking his senses. A wolf leapt out and snapped at his heels, snagging the hem of his trousers in its fanged jaws. He toppled over with a yelp, cracking his head on a rock and slipping into unconsciousness.  
  
When Duo awoke, his head throbbed with a vengeance and there was a sharp, stabbing pain in his leg. When he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings, he found himself back in his room in the castle. The boy sat up, wondering if the entire event with the flowers and the wolves had just been a horrible, confused dream. Then he glanced down and saw his shin, the leg of the trousers torn and ripped and a nasty scab forming over what he guessed to be the wounds of a wolf attack. He frowned, sitting up and feeling a fresh stab of agony in his temple. Trying to focus his blurry gaze, he squinted at the brown and green blob by his window.  
  
"How... how did I get back here?" The blob turned to look at him, and as Duo's sight sharpened, he realized it was the Beast.  
  
"You're awake." It stated, not registering the question that the bright- eyed boy had asked. "I thought you might have..." The creature's voice trailed off, and Duo raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Thought I might have what?" He prodded, leaning forward on his knees and feeling a sudden swarm of dizziness erupt from inside his head. Duo leaned a bit to the side and began to slip off the bed in his disoriented state. There was a rustle of fabric, and he felt a pair of strong, furry arms wrap around his waist and haul him back onto the bed.  
  
"You should stay still. You hit your head quite hard." The Beast pulled away again, but didn't return to his seat beside the windows.  
  
"Thought I might have what?" Duo persisted, struggling to sit up again. His host sighed, running a paw through its bangs.  
  
"If I tell you, will you stop trying to fall out of bed?" Duo started to laugh, but a ringing set up in his head when he did so and cut short his chuckling.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"I thought you might have died. I thought..." The Beast trailed off again, and only continued when Duo sent an exasperated glare his way. "I thought I was too late to save you. Your head was bleeding... it was... down your neck... I thought... thought you might have broken your neck... thought I was too late... too late..." The beast's speech tumbled off into incoherent mumbling, and Duo reached out and touched his shoulder to let him know that it was okay. The Beast winced and pulled back, and it was only then that Duo noticed the deep wounds and slashes that adorned the creature's torso and arms.  
  
"You're hurt!" The boy exclaimed, his dizziness forgotten as he leaned forward to inspect the gashes more closely. The Beast pulled away, both from pain and from his introverted tendencies. "Stay still- let me see!" Duo insisted, grabbing a hold of the Beast's thick, hirsute arm and pulling it towards his face for a better look. The Beast winced and growled.  
  
"It's nothing. Stop touching it, it hurts!" He snarled, trying to pull away but unable to do so without consequently wrenching Duo off the bed. The boy glanced at the cuts and his frown deepened.  
  
"If it hurts, it's not nothing. Let me help!" The Beast growled and pulled away successfully, moving from the bed and making for the door. Duo sat up quickly, his lightheadedness returning in a sudden bout that kept his feet off the floor. Before the Beast could leave, he made one last appeal. "Please! I... I owe you one for saving me." The Beast turned around and gave Duo a firm, solid stare, meeting his eyes again for the first time since the tower incident. There was a pause, and then,  
  
"Okay." The Beast stuck his head out into the hallway and called out someone's name, then returned to the room and sat down on the bed with an almost weary sigh. The two of them sat in silence for a long time, and then Duo daringly asked something that had been bothering him since the morning.  
  
"Why are you... so against flowers?" The Beast was caught off guard by the question, and almost answered him. Then he clamped his mouth shut, considering his situation. Heero desperately wanted to spill his guts to his captive, tell him everything, and tell him the truth. The truth about the servants, the truth about the castle, and... the truth about the Beast. He longed to tell him that long ago he had been a rich prince, a prince with everything anyone could ever want, and a cruelty and greed born of contempt. He took everything for granted- including his good looks. When an old woman showed up on his doorstep those years ago, offering a single rose in return for shelter for the night, Prince Heero had been revolted by her appearance and had turned her away. Who was he to know that she was in reality a beautiful sorceress? No, not a sorceress, he thought bitterly, a witch. He had put this curse on him, and placed his beautiful self in this ugly, wretched body. When Duo had made the simple offering of flowers, he was reminded far too much of that rose that was slowly wilting up in the west wing, the rose that signified how long he had to fall in love. Love. That was the answer to this problem, the cure to this disease. But who could love an ugly, atrocious thing like a Beast? Even if someone could see past the exterior, he knew he was only a cold dark monster on the inside.  
  
"Yes, master?" A feminine voice said, interrupting his deep thoughts. He looked up to see a teapot edging her way around the door, almost apprehensively.  
  
"Sally," The Beast said, trying to put her at ease, and almost apologising for how he'd been especially cold to his servants the past week. He then turned to Duo, gesturing to the teapot, "Tell her what you need, and she'll get it." Duo paused, confused, and then remembered the wounds.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that's right. Could you uh, get some bandages... and warm water?" As the servant named Sally ducked out of the room with a nod, Duo added, "Thanks!" She smiled a bit to herself as she rounded the corner, hopping down the stairs to the kitchen. When she arrived, a quick glance around told her that the majority of the servants were still hiding away in the kitchen, wary of their master's wrath. He'd been totally unapproachable for the past few hours, snarling at anyone that stuck their head into Duo's room. Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all sighed collectively when the teapot announced that the boy had woken up and the Beast's temper had been quelled. They then set to work to gather the bandages, while Sally Potts set about to boil the water. The troupe of servants spoke lightly among themselves as they worked, pondering the boy who'd arrived at the castle a week ago.  
  
"He's certainly a nice change from the Master," Sally admit quietly, filling herself with water and hopping over to the stove, "The boy is certainly polite and cheerful, even if he's a bit strange."  
  
"Listen to the pot call the kettle black," Quatre piped, earning a chiding from a cauldron a few shelves away, "I mean to say, we're not exactly normal ourselves, are we?" He explained quickly, not wanted to offend anyone.  
  
"True." Trowa put in, trying to pick up bandages without setting fire to them, and failing somewhat.  
  
"It's unfair that we were punished for his mistakes. I can understand him being cursed, but why us too? It's unjust!" Wufei declared, but nobody replied to that; they'd heard the same speech made dozens of times before.  
  
"But that boy, Duo," Quatre said quickly, trying to avoid the subject of their uncomfortable situation, "he does seem nice. He's a bit... confused though, I think." They all gave him odd stares, as if asking what made him say such a thing, and the little teacup fell silent, suddenly finding the tiles on the floor very interesting. Sally declared that the water was warm enough and Trowa enlisted the help of a living coat rack to help carry the articles up to the room. The trip was made in silence, and Wufei and Quatre chose to stay behind, unable to find a way to help, or (in a certain timepiece's opinion) a reason to bother doing so. When they came to the door, remnants of a conversation floated out from inside the chamber.  
  
"It wouldn't hurt to be a little nicer, you know." A pause.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why are you still so mean?"  
  
"I have my reasons."  
  
"Oh, come off it." The candlestick had expected such a phrase coming from Duo would be angry, or annoyed, but there was a certain lightness to his voice that suggested he was trying to hide a smile. It was then that Sally decided to knock on the door ad nudge it open as far as a teapot could, making room for the coat rack to come into the room and set down the tray of bandages and the empty bowl. Sally emptied the contents of herself into said bowl, still unused to pouring hot liquids out through her nose, but having resigned herself to this duty long ago. Duo smiled and thanked them yet again, while the Beast merely grunted and ignored the servants. The boy shot him a look, but he was ignored just as condescendingly. Sally and Trowa left the room and left the two to their devices, trying very hard not to listen in as the conversation sprung up again on a different note.  
  
"Now, sit still while I clean those cuts."  
  
"But it hurts!"  
  
"Don't be a baby. Of course it's going to sting a bit..." Back in Duo's room, the tray had been set on the side of the bed, and Duo had set about soaking the bandages in the water and wrapping them around the long scratches and bite marks that adorned the Beast's arms and shoulders. "What would you servants think if they knew their big bad boss fussed and fret this much over something so small, hmm?" The Beast merely grunted in reply, staring moodily out the window, avoiding Duo's gaze. He'd been trying to do so ever since he'd run into the fact that Duo was a boy, because despite that revelation, the Beast was sickened to discover he still found those bright violet eyes very attractive. The fact had added to the bruising his ego took, adding an extra insult to remind him how he'd been deceived by those wide eyes and that long hair. He hissed suddenly when Duo's careful binding reached a particularly deep gash in his left arm, pulling away and growling. Duo met his gaze apologetically, but finding himself entranced by the eyes of a male only aggravated the Beast more. He rose and stormed off without a word of warning, leaving the boy sitting on the edge of his bed and looking out down a hallway after the Beast for the second time that week.  
  
'I must have hurt him a lot for him to storm off like that...' Duo thought nervously, hoping he hadn't angered the temperamental Beast too much. He picked up the tray and set it beside the window before retreating to his bed again, just in time for his pounding headache to return. He lay down and closed his eyes, trying to get to sleep despite the screaming pain in his temple and legs, but found one phrase running through his mind over and over.  
  
"...I thought you might have died..." The way he had said it, his monotone slightly cracked to reveal an ounce of concern...  
  
"...I thought you might have died..." Duo rolled over, frowning. He couldn't have been concerned about Duo. He'd only wanted to keep him in the castle because he thought he was a girl... he didn't want a companion, he wanted a lover...  
  
"...I thought you might have died..." Still... even if the Beast didn't want a friend, he definitely needed one. Locked up in a castle day after day with nobody to talk to, it must get awfully lonely.  
  
"...I thought you might have died..." Duo slowly slipped into a light slumber, lost in his mental ramblings and falling asleep to the sound of what he thought, in his dream-like state, could only be the voice of a concerned friend.  
  
Duo ran through a pile of leaves, laughing happily and grinning up at the baffled face of the Beast. His lithe arm shot up and grabbed the hairy one of his reluctant comrade, pulling him down among the reds and golds of autumn.  
  
"Come on, it's fun! Playing in leaves is what fall is all about!"  
  
"What are you, three?" The Beast grumbled after spitting out a mouthful of leaves, getting up slowly and glancing down at Duo, who seemed to enjoy the simple things in life more than anyone else he knew. In reply, the braided boy grabbed a handful of leaves and threw it up in the air, watching as they fell down and entangled themselves in the shaggy hair of the Beast.  
  
"Nope! I'm three and a half, thank you very much!" Duo giggled, waggling his tongue to go along with the statement and darting between the trees that littered the Beast's large estate. He'd been putting on a brave face and acting the fool ever since the night after he tried to run away, hoping to crack the shell the Beast put up around himself and give him something he subconsciously cried out for every time he looked at Duo- a friend. As he poked his head out from behind a large oak, Duo saw that maybe he'd begun to chip away at it already; he was met with a flurry of leaves that the Beast dumped on his head, grinning ever so softly but still proving that he'd begun to lighten up a little. Duo laughed loudly, shaking the pile off his shoulders and head and then running off. The Beast raised an eyebrow at him, walking after him.  
  
"We should get back inside. It's getting late."  
  
"Can't catch meeee!" Duo called out, his long braid whipping around behind him as he wove his way between great oaks and tall elms as he tried to prolong his game. The Beast sighed, daring to smile when nobody could see and then breaking into a determined run, catching up to his prey in a matter of seconds and picking him up, hoisting him right off the ground and slinging him over his shoulder. Duo chortled, and let himself be carried back to the castle for dinner. "I guess you can catch me then," he said breathlessly, worn out between racing and laughing. As usual, the Beast only grunted. He made his way to the door and wrenched it open, dumping Duo on the floor with just enough pity to let him land on his feet. They wandered inside and sat down at the oversized table, quickly met by Trowa who scuttled off to announce their arrival to the rest of the kitchen. Soon they were served with warm soup and fresh, piping hot bread to chase away any chills they might have brought in with them from the outside. Winter was fast approaching, and it could be seen in the manners of the meals that were being served. Duo watched the Beast eating, curiosity overwhelming him; the Beast had never actually stayed at the table to eat before.  
  
Sensing that a certain pair of amethyst eyes were riveted to his every move, the Beast looked up and shot an icy glare at the mouse sitting across from him, twiddling its long tail of hair innocently. When it squeaked softly and focused on its own bowl of soup, the Beast set about the task of eating. Normally, he could consume his meals in any manner he wanted without having to think about how his boorish table etiquette looked to others, but now he had an audience, and he wasn't about to make a fool of himself. Picking up the spoon that lay innocently beside his bowl, he formed a fist around it and found the article of silverware completely covered by his thick fingers, hidden from view. He grit his teeth and shuffled the spoon around in his grip so that the useful end stuck out of his fist, then stared at the bowl. It had been so long since he'd bothered about appearances, he'd practically forgotten how to eat with anything other than his paws and mouth. He lowered the spoon into the scalding soup, biting his lip and drawing his hand back when the side of his thumb was dipped in as well. Duo watched from the other side of the table and stiffled a giggle, returning his gaze to his bowl just in time to avoid another nasty glare from the Beast. There was an irritated grumble from the opposite end, and the frustrated Heero rose from his chair, ready to retreat to the shadows to eat his meal like he normally did.  
  
"No, wait," Duo said quickly, feeling bad for laughing at him, "don't leave. It doesn't matter to me how you..." he paused, trying to decide how to phrase the sentence, "whether you use a spoon or not. I'm not here to judge you." The Beast was surprised by this, to say the least, and sat back down, replacing his bowl.  
  
"You sure you don't mind? I don't really... well I'm not..."  
  
"Just eat the damn soup!" Duo cried laughingly, grinning and popping another spoonful into his mouth. The Beast nodded, although it was more to himself than to the noisy little mouse. He ineffectively brushed his unruly bangs out of his face and then lowered his mouth to the bowl, lapping up the soup like a dog and keeping his eyes on Duo the whole time. Not once did he stare, or laugh, or send him a look of disgust. He'd told the truth; Duo wasn't there to judge him. The moment he thought it, the Beast told himself that of course it had been true. Duo never lied.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
Yay! There you go, guys. This chapter is dedicated to Mitsugi and her (?) incredible story Bridlewood Manor. I just finished reading it today, and it is absolutely amazing! Not to mention very extensive, cultured, and long! Any of you that have read it will have probably noticed my little tribute to the story near the end of the chappie; any of you that haven't read it should go read it now. XD Keep readin' and reviewin', and I'll keep writin'! Hooray for 1 x 2 x 1!!!! 


	5. The Library

Hello again! Time for another chapter of Beauty and the Beast. Nothing much to say, so on with the show! Oh yeah; last chapter there was a bit of a problem with something or other, so the line divider thingies didn't quite show up. There was supposed to be one between the part where Duo falls asleep and then they're playing in the leaves and all that. Just so you know. I'll try to fix that when I get home.  
  
—  
  
Duo quickly tugged a randomly selected shirt on over his head, pulling his braid out from the collar. Ignoring the complaints coming from the wardrobe on his choice of clothing, he darted out the door with a huge grin. Normally he wouldn't be in such a rush to get down to breakfast, but today was special. The Beast had promised to give him a tour of the castle, something Duo had longed for since his second day in the palace. He tore down the hallway and slid down the banister, now thoroughly wiped down by the many servants that had been ushered out of their long, boring vacation and back into cleaning the stone mansion from top to bottom for the guest. Duo jumped the last couple feet, landing neatly on his toes and then zipping down to the dining room. He plopped down into his chair and waited eagerly for the Beast and for breakfast to arrive. After waiting a couple of minutes, Trowa hopped into the room sporting a rather shocked expression.  
  
"Duo? You're up awfully early."He said with as much surprise in his voice as was possible for the stoic candlestick. He took a moment to try and figure out what was so special about that particular day, then remembered. "Oh that's right, he's going to show you around today, isn't he?" Duo nodded, his grin widening. "Sure took him long enough. It's been almost a month since you got here. I guess I'll go tell them to get breakfast ready." With that Trowa bowed once, then disappeared back into the kitchen. Not long after, the Beast made his appearance. He came down the staircase slowly, measuring his steps and holding the banister in one hand. He was making a grand effort to walk upright, and managed to get all the way to the main floor without stumbling to losing balance. It had been so long since he'd bothered taking the stairs on two feet, but something about Duo's presence at the castle made him try harder to revert back to his old human habits. The Beast told himself if was just because he was spending time around another human being that made him act that way, but something at the back of his mind seemed to think there was something more to it than that.  
  
As the Beast came down the stairs, Duo couldn't help but watch. He'd exchanged his usual green tunic for a long white shirt that buttoned up and billowed at the sleeves, and it was apparent that one of the servants must have dressed him. The stately, navy blue dress-pants and dark marine collar draped around his shoulders hinted at a slightly more fashion-wise mind having selected the Beast's wardrobe. Quatre rolled out of the kitchen on a cart with the breakfast trays, following Duo's bewildered gaze and grinning.  
  
"You like it?" He whispered to the boy, guiding a goblet of orange juice to its place, "I picked it out for him last night." Duo merely gaped.  
  
"How'd you convince him to wear something so nice?"  
  
"I sorta... hid all his other clothes..." Quatre giggled, then went back to arranging the silverware as his master neared.  
  
"Were you talking about me?" The Beast boomed, feeling extremely self-conscious as he confronted Duo. Unable to lie, Duo declared that he most certainly had been, and that he'd never seen the Beast looking more distinguished. Once the flattery was turned on, Heero shied away from the pair of gossipers and sat down to eat his breakfast. He sulked right through his scrambled eggs, trying to hide the fact that he was pleased at the compliment, and complained loudly every few minutes that Duo spoke too much. Able to see right through the ploy, the long-haired boy simply grinned and continued chatting with Quatre. Once the Beast had finished with his bacon, he rose and turned to leave. Duo was up in a second and at his side, grinning.  
  
"So, where to first? The dungeon, the torture chamber, the pantry...?" The beast sighed, hiding a smile.  
  
"The study." He replied simply, pointing out landmarks as they navigated the hallways, little things that separated one nearly identical corridor from the other. Duo tried his best to memorize each one as they passed dozens of spare bedrooms, noticing with amusement that none of the extra chambers were nearly as nice as the once he was bunked in. Then he remembered it had been chosen with the thought that he was a girl, and that the Beast had probably originally planned to seduce him with fancy rooms and fine cuisine, or something. His face fell a bit, and the Beast assumed that Duo was bored. That in mind, he sped up his pace and opened the door to a dusty old room. "We're here. The study." Duo stuck his head in and looked around. The room had a single bookshelf, the shelves spotted here and there with the occasional book about law and politics and boring things like that. A wide desk sat at the center of the room, decorated only with a dried pot of ink and a long forsaken eagle-feather quill. Duo stepped inside and explored the titles of the books longingly, wishing that there might be something jammed in there by accident that was worth reading. The Beast watched Duo explore curiously. "You like books?"  
  
"I love them." Duo replied, wiping the dust off of a gray spine and wrinkling his nose. "Well, not all of them. 'The Art of Accounting' doesn't seem much of a thriller.  
  
"Then what kinds of books do you like?" The Beast inquired, instantly thinking of his magnificent library and wondering why he'd failed to mention it to the boy.  
  
"Fantasy," Duo replied instantly, a light appearing in his violet eyes that Heero rarely saw, "Books about enchanted forests and brave warriors, about beautiful princesses guarded by dragons and monsters, and great treasures, and-"  
  
"Alright, I get the idea." The Beast muttered, a hint of amusement showing itself in his tone. He glanced out the dirty window and frowned. "I hate winter." Duo raised and eyebrow and looked up from his bookshelf-searching to see what had made the Beast announce his dislike for the coldest season. Upon laying his eyes upon the outside, Duo grinned.  
  
"It's snowing!" The Beast huffed, leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"Don't remind me." He mumbled, earning a confused look from Duo.  
  
"What's wrong with snow?"  
  
"It's cold and wet."  
  
"So? It's also perfect for building snowmen, and making snow angels, and snowballs!"  
  
"And snowpie and snowsheep and snowplates?" The Beast retorted sarcastically. "You could stick 'snow' onto any word and you'd think it's incredible." Duo sighed.  
  
"You're missing the point!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Never mind." Duo resigned with a sigh, rolling his eyes and making his way out the study door. "Where to now?" The Beast paused, considering, when a light suddenly turned on somewhere in his head.  
  
"A surprise." He stated, smiling enough that Duo was almost overflowed with joy at the thought.  
  
"Didn't know you were capable of creativity." He commented, but grinned nonetheless. "Let's go then!" The Beast led him back out into the hallway, and then up several flights of stairs. They wandered down several more corridors and at last, the Beast stopped at a set of huge doors.  
  
"Okay, close your eyes." Duo did as he was told, wondering what on earth the Beast had in mind for a 'surprise'. He heard a door being opened, and then was led inside. "Are your eyes closed?" Duo nodded, wiggling a bit in anticipation. "Okay... okay... open them." When Duo lifted his eyelids, his jaw popped open momentarily. He was standing in the largest library he'd ever imagined. There had to be millions of books in that massive room. A pair of twin staircases wound up to a second floor, and a large balcony perched overhead. The bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling on every square inch of wall, and the colours of the book spines lit up the room like a thousand rainbow-hued candles. He spun around a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees, his eyes darting from book to book. Duo looked up and saw that a huge dome-shaped skylight made up the middle of the ceiling, and smiled so widely that his jaw hurt. The Beast grinned quietly.  
  
"Consider it yours. You... like it?" He asked softly, suddenly realizing that one man's prison could be another man's kingdom. Duo turned back to the Beast and suddenly embraced him in a hug, throwing his arms around his shoulders and smiling bright enough to make the sun turn green with envy.  
  
"I love it! Thank you!" Duo exclaimed, pulling away again, quickly drawn to the nearest bookcase. Heero watched him for a moment, wondering why his heart had just skipped a beat and why he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Did Duo even realize he'd just embraced a monster? A horrible beast that kept fair maidens locked away in towers? The kind of creature that Duo's storybook heros were sent on missions to kill? Maybe he didn't realize. 'Or maybe...' the Beast thought wistfully... 'he didn't care.'  
  
—  
  
Later that night, Heero found his way downstairs to the kitchen. He knew it would be too late for any servants to be awake; save, of course, a deviant pair that thought their Master was oblivious to their midnight pastimes. Heero pushed open the door and made his way quietly to the back closet where the food was kept, slinking on all fours. Not only did he want to catch that pair off guard, he wanted the other servants to be unaware of what he was about to ask. He eased open the pantry door, and slipped inside. A small voice made itself known, asking if the other had heard something. There was a pause, and then the two continued what they had been doing. The Beast suddenly lit a match and whispered monotonously: "Boo." Trowa and Quatre pulled away from one another, caught red handed.  
  
"It's not what it looks like!" Trowa declared instinctively, biting his lip nervously. "He had something in his eye!"  
  
"Shush." Heero hissed, sitting down. "I already knew." Quatre squeaked a bit, afraid of what their master would make of such sinful behavior. "Relax. I'm not mad." The truth was, it had kind of creeped him out a bit when he first found out, but decided to let it slide. Now he needed advice on something he was too ashamed to admit to, and needed someone who might understand his plight. "I need to... to ask you something." Trowa raised a glob of wax on his face that was equivalent to an eyebrow.  
  
"In the middle of the night in the pantry?" He asked, automatically moving closer to Quatre now that he wasn't afraid of discovery or punishment.  
  
"Well, I don't want anyone else hearing, and I needed to ask you two specifically."  
  
"Okay," Quatre said, now curious, "ask away."  
  
"Well you see I ..." Heero began, fidgeting nervously, "I was wondering... how do you tell if you're... well... funny?" The two gave him strange stares, and he elaborated. "Funny like... like... you two. Different, you know?" Trowa frowned, but it dawned on Quatre suddenly.  
  
"Like not being interested in girls?" He whispered, afraid that someone might hear. Heero nodded ashamedly, looking at his feet.  
  
"Because I think I might be... I'm not sure."  
  
"It's Duo, isn't it?" Quatre whispered suddenly, a small smile appearing on his face. Maybe things could work out after all.  
  
"Well... yeah..." The Beast mumbled, shuffling his feet. "I don't really understand... I just... I want to make him happy, because I like to see him smile, you know? His eyes are all... pretty... and he doesn't treat me as though I'm a monster... and well, I just have this feeling inside whenever he looks at me, or...or touches me..." he bit his lip, remembering the hug earlier that day, "and I don't know if it means I'm... strange... like you..." Quatre smiled, suppressing the 'awwww' that came with seeing the Beast develop a crush on someone.  
  
"I think so." He replied, sidling closer to Trowa without realizing it. "Those kinds of feelings are sort of... the precedent to love..." With this Heero saw the little teacup send an unmistakably admiring gaze in the direction of a particular candle holder.  
  
"Okay..." the Beast muttered, sighing heavily. "But now there's another problem... what if he's not like that?" Trowa frowned slightly.  
  
"Don't worry about that tonight. You should get to sleep. We can try to find out for you, okay?" Heero nodded numbly, then found his way out of the pantry again, going back up to the West Wing to get some rest. Trowa turned back to Quatre as soon as the door was closed, smiling a rare mischievous smile.  
  
"Now... where were we?"  
  
—  
  
-End Chapter- Woohoo! Major cuteness, hugs, and Heero in billowy shirts! Yaaay! Not to mention some 3 x 4 thrown in there! Aww... everyone snug the little Quatre. He's so cute. :3 Anyways, leave a review, and I'll try to get back to any questions you have! By the way, I hope you don't mind that I'm leaving out the "be our guest" scene, purely because I cannot see Trowa breaking out in song. Hehehe. Be my guest, take the test, leave reviews just like the rest! Keep on reading I'll be writing, and I'll always try my best! 


	6. Subtle Glances

Hullo again! Sorry I took so darn long to get back on track, just haven't been in the right mood to work on the story. Since non of your actually had questions, I don't have anything to reply to, although I have to say I loved your guys reactions to the thought of Trowa breaking out in song. Especially yours, Goddess-of-da-Cheeseburgers! XD On with the fanfic!

----------------------------------

The Beast sat by the fire in his favourite armchair, his eyes closed and his ears blocked to the pests that were his servants.

"Come on, master, go outside just for a bit?"

"The crisp, fresh air is good for you!"

"I know you don't like winter, just give it a chance."

"Hn. It's stupid and pointless to go outside in weather like this."

"But it's fun, too! You could dig out an old sled from the storerooms, or-"

"Why entrust my safety to a flimsey piece of wood?"

"Because it's exhilarating, that's why!"

"It's also stupid."

"Well then you could do something else! Make something in the snow, like, like…" It was at this moment that Duo entered the room, leaning on the doorframe and grinning.

"Like snowpies and snowsheep and snowplates, of course." He said with a laugh, earning Beast's attention and both his opened eyes.

"Stay out of this." He grunted, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Aw, come on. I need someone to play with outside- it's lonely on my own."

"Take one of the servants with you, then."

"But," Duo interjected with a smirk appearing on his face, "none of them are big enough to toss a decent snowball." At this, the Beast raised an eyebrow. "Come on, please? I promise I won't beat you too badly."

"Beat me?" The Beast said with an amused tone. "What makes you think you could beat me?"

"I think the question is, what makes YOU think you can beat ME?" He stuck his tongue out impishly, and the Beast rose from his chair.

"I think you're confused. I'm the one that's going to be beating you." This earned a smirk from Duo.

"That's what you think, mister!" They exchanged remarks of the sort all the way to the kitchen and to the front door, where they both donned long coats and fuzzy scarves before racing outside to crown the king of snowball fights. Back in the den, Wufei shot a very confused look at Trowa.

"Did you just see that?"

--------

Outside, the Beast was chasing Duo with a very determined look in his eye and a snowball in each hand. His breath puffed out and floated around his head as he ran, disappearing quickly. Duo ducked and weaved, dodging behind a tree just in time to hear a snowball thud against the trunk. Thinking the Beast was out of ammo, he poked his head out and waggled his tongue at him, receiving a mouthful of snow. The Beast smirked as he staggered out from behind the tree, spluttering.

"Got you." He said simply, a wide, fanged grin upon his shaggy face. If he was expecting anger, annoyance or sadness from Duo at the defeat, he was wrong. As soon as there was no more snow in Duo's mouth, he began to laugh.

"Alright, alright, I give! I'm not going up against anyone with a throw that hard." He grinned. Suddenly, the Beast looked perplexed.

"But what are we going to do now?" He asked, almost sounding like he wanted an excuse to stay outside. Duo considered this for a while, running his fingers through his bangs with a thoughtful expression. After a while, his eyes lit up.

"Let's make a snowman!"

"How?"

"What do you mean, 'how?' Haven't you ever made a snowman before?"

"No."

"You've never made a snowman before? Never??" Duo exclaims in surprise, his eyes wide. The Beast shakes his head. "Well then this will be your first time! Okay, what you do, is make a snowball, right?" The Beast raised an eyebrow.

"I think I can handle that."

"Okay, then you roll it on the ground until it gets really big, so big that it's difficult to lift." He explained, bending over and making a snowball, rolling it through the snow to demonstrate. The Beast watched with vague interest, trying very hard to keep his eyes on the snowball and not on Duo's bent-over form. After a while, Duo stood up again. "You take over on this one, and I'll make the middle part and the head." A nod, and the two switched places. A few minutes of silence later, Duo finished making the body and glanced over at the Beast, stifling a chuckle. He was rolling it as slowly as was possible, using only two fingers, convinced anything more than that would crush something as delicate as snow. Duo grinned.

'There's something sweet… and almost kind… but he was mean and he was course and unrefined!' The Beast strained to roll it with two fingers, and Duo wandered over to him, putting a hand on top of his paw without thinking.

"It really works better if you use your whole hand." He said laughingly.

'But now he's dear… and so… unsure. I wonder why I didn't see it there before…' Heero felt a strange sensation thrumming in his chest even after Duo had gotten up to make the head, watching him curiously.

'He glanced this way… I thought I saw… and when we touched he didn't shudder at my paw!' The Beast turned back to his snowball stubbornly, rolling it with both his hands this time. 'No, it can't be… I'll just ignore.' He peeked over his shoulder at Duo, finding the boy to be doing the exact same thing. 'But then, he's never looked at me that way before…' Duo's gaze darted quickly back to the snowball, ducking down to roll it a bit more. He stole another glance at the Beast again, feeling the strange need to smile whenever catching sight of him.

'New… and a bit… alarming… who'd have ever though that this could be?' When next he glanced over, the Beast was straining to pick up the snowball, having decided he didn't really need to be gentle. He lifted it up and staggered over to where the body was, letting it fall with a "whump!" and smirking at it as though he'd just lifted the world on his shoulders. 'True… that he's no Prince Charming… but there's something in him that I simply didn't see…'

A pair of servants watched through a window as Duo helped the Beast lift the middle onto the bottom, talking about something and actually smiling a little. Trowa raised an eyebrow, mumbling,

"Well who'd have thought…" He whispered, and Quatre piped up,

"Well bless my soul." The little teacup smiled. "And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?" Trowa grinned, moving a little closer to his angel in the absence of any others.

"We'll wait and see… a few days more." Trowa stated diplomatically, and Quatre sighed happily.

"There may be something there that wasn't there before."

---

Duo sat at the long table, sipping idly at the warm broth that had been served for dinner. He glanced up at the staircase where the Beast normally descended from, biting his lower lip. 'Where is he? What's taking so long?' He shifted nervously, running his fingers through his bangs. 'And why do I care? Why do I miss him when he's gone for even a couple minutes?' The young man frowned, looking across at the untouched soup at the other set place. 'What is he doing that's taking so-"

"Duo?" A hesitant voice rumbled, and he looked from the soup to the staircase. The Beast stood there in a fresh outfit, rich red sleeves rolling down his furry arms and black trousers hiding his shaggy knees. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wondering what was taking so long." He stood up, completely forgetting his dinner. "Y'look nice." A grin appeared on his face, reaching up into his eyes and giving them an extra sparkle. The Beast lowered his eyes and grunted in response,

"You too." Momentarily, those shocking blue eyes darted up and risked a glance over Duo's features. The man wore a perplexed grin, and chuckled.

"But this is what I always wear." He said, taking a small couple steps towards the master of the castle.

"Well… you still look nice." Beast mumbled, allowing himself to look at the braided young bookworm. His gaze was met with a gentle blush and a small smile.

"Thanks." There was an awkward pause, and then they both sat down for dinner.

---

Sorry it's been so long since I updated, guys. I've been lacking inspiration.


End file.
